Teaching alternate hook holds?

[marikamum]

Hi all,

 

I was wondering:

 

a) what hook hold you use (knife vs pen vs other)

 

b) whether you use it exclusively

 

c) whether you teach your hold exclusively or both/either

 

d) if you teach both… how do you do it?

 

I use the knife hold and find it quite awkward when trying to use the pen hold - so much so that I question whether I am doing it right… I’d love to be able to demonstrate more than one option to my class, but do I have to gain facility in it first?

 

What do you do?

 

I've posted this on the Ravelry Crochet Instructors Lounge group as well, so if you hang out there, I apologise for the double-tag on your attention :').

 

Cheers,

[Knit Happens]

I use the knife hold; my teacher used the pen hold. 2 of my students use the pen hold. I showed them both styles right from the start, and I too am not comfortable with the pen hold and am a bit clumsly in the movements, but the point is made and they can choose for themselves....my wrist just can't twist that much. Basically, I show them both and let them decide what is more comfortable for them. I also have 1 student who holds wraps her yarn very tightly around her pointer finger, under it from front to back, which is bizarre to me, but she says it is the only way she can control her tension, and it works for her. It is definitely NOT any way that I showed her, but I do stress with everyone that they are the one who has to be comfortable, and whatever works for them is perfect. Don't worry that you aren't comfortable with the pen hold; just demonstrate it for a few chains and that's all you need do.

[jleinhauser]

I use the knife hold, but in teaching, I let students use whatever feels more natural to them. And there are some odd holds I seen that do work for their users! It's the result that counts, not the way the hook is held.

 

Jean Leinhauser

[Knit Happens]

....just adding...for 30 years, I thought I was holding it wrong....and I would try it the pen way, and the result was the same, so I'd go with the knife hold which was good for me. It wasn't until I found Crochetville that I found out there were 2 prominent ways to do it, and both were "correct". Then last year when I was asked to teach people, I show them, and then, THEY SHOW ME! Jean (Leinauser) it really is an honor to have you post here on the forum. It is like hanging out with a well-versed celebrity. When I first saw your name on another post, I immediately thought "wow, I KNOW her"....lol ...my second thought was "she's famous" and my third was "she's very knowledgeable and how lucky are we!" Hugs, D

[marikamum]

D and Jean,

 

Thanks for the input. I definitely believe that the result, not the method of holding is what counts, which is why I did not want to exert undue influence with my preferred hold (knife), but am not totally confident in the alternate hold (pen) and wondered how others dealt with that in their teaching.

 

Thanks!

[A HappyHooker]

I have to say, I didn't even know that there were names for the different ways of holding the hook!...

[forestergirl]

Whenever I've taught somebody, I show them how I hold the hook (knife) and then tell them to play with it until they find what is comfortable. I do the same with holding the yarn, because I hook mine under my index finger to control the tension. I just cant get the other methods to work for me at all, so I can't demonstrate them.

[herballibra]

I use the pen hold, and only recently found out that there was another way to hold the hook. Everyone I know uses the pen hold as well, and thats how I teach.